Our Air Fryer Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe is loaded with seasoned chicken, cilantro lime rice, pinto beans, and all your favorite toppings! Who needs Chipotle when you can put your air fryer to work for you?
Whether you’re eating gluten-free or you just want to cut out the tortilla, a burrito bowl is the way to go! You can load up on more of the good stuff this way and easily customize the bowls with all your favorite toppings.
These chicken burrito bowls are made with seasoned air fried chicken (it’s so juicy!), cilantro lime rice (an easy, flavorful base), and some stove top pinto beans that are seasoned to perfection! And then we load it all up with all of our favorite toppings like salsa, sour cream, roasted corn, cheese, and onion. Pretty much whatever you want!
If you’re looking for similar recipes check out our copycat KFC bowls or these air fryer Greek chicken bowls!
Ingredient Notes:
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Chicken – We’re starting with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could also use boneless chicken thighs for this! We pound them out so that they cook a bit more evenly and quicker, plus it creates more surface area for the seasoning!
Pinto Beans – You can either use canned pinto beans or try this with our Instant Pot pinto beans if you’ve got a little more time. If you prefer black beans you can use those but you may need to adjust the seasonings used as this was written for pinto beans.
Taco Seasoning – The chicken gets well seasoned with some taco seasoning. Our keto taco seasoning is great for this recipe but a packet of taco seasoning from the store works just as well.
Other Seasonings – We also season up the pinto beans with some chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. You can use any other seasonings you like here too. If you want it extra spicy add some cayenne pepper!
Cilantro Lime Rice – These burrito bowls are going to need some rice! That’s where our cilantro lime rice recipe comes in. It’s just about perfect for these bowls! If you’re not a fan of the cilantro consider our easy Mexican rice. We prefer white rice for this but you could use a brown rice recipe instead if you like.
Extra Toppings – We’re also topping the burrito bowls with sliced avocado and shredded cheese or homemade queso. Some other good options to add include Pico de Gallo, esquites, salsa verde, or regular salsa! Plus all the basics like veggies or other toppings. Diced tomatoes, pickled red onion, jalapeno slices, corn, bell peppers, and sour cream all work. Romaine lettuce is also another popular choice. Use whatever you like!
We love how customizeable this recipe is! That’s the best part about building your own burrito bowl. You get to use whatever toppings you like! Load it up with plenty of chicken, rice, and beans but don’t forget all that extra good stuff like the veggies or salsa. Just about every part of this recipe can be swapped with something else!
How to Make Chicken Burrito Bowl:
Prepare the chicken breasts by pounding them out and then coating with the oil and taco seasoning. Arrange in an even layer in the air fryer basket and air fryer at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until it has reached a safe internal temp of 165 degrees.
Squeeze lime juice over the chicken, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. We cut the chicken into strips one direction, turn the cutting board, and then cut in the opposite direction. Taste the chicken and sprinkle with a bit of salt, if needed.
Meat Thermometer
We use and love this ThermoPro meat thermometer anytime we’re making chicken, steak, or pork chops! It’s the easiest way to ensure meat is cooked to the perfect temperature every time and is a great gift for beginner cooks too!
Cook the pinto beans over medium heat on the stove. Season with the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cook until the beans have warmed through.
Divide the cooked cilantro lime rice among the 4 bowls and top with the cooked chicken, pinto beans, and all your favorite toppings!
Shop our Favorite Air Fryers!
We’ve tested loads of air fryers over the years and narrowed it down to the best of the best! Whether you’re looking for a basket style air fryer that fits nicely on your countertop or you want the toaster oven style air fryer, we’ve got the recommendation for you!
Freezing & Storage Instructions:
If you’ve got leftovers you can keep them stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to a few days. These are great for meal prep and you can store the chicken, rice, and beans in small containers together and just add your cold toppings after reheating.
We haven’t frozen these ourselves, but I think they’ll freeze great! Build your bowls with the rice, chicken, and beans and place in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and topping with your favorites.
Recipe Tips!
This recipe is pretty much already gluten-free (see FAQs) but it’s not technically low carb with the rice and the beans. But you’ve still got options! If you’re eating low carb swap out the cilantro lime rice for my cilantro lime cauliflower rice! And if you’re not a fan of the cilantro try this Mexican cauliflower rice. There aren’t really many good low carb alternatives for the pinto beans unfortunately, but you can still enjoy these chicken burrito bowls without them!
More Air Fryer Tex-Mex Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless & skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning see notes
- Lime juice of
- Cilantro for garnish
- 3 cups cilantro lime rice
- 15 ounces canned pinto beans see notes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt to tate
- 1 avocado thinly sliced or diced
- homemade queso or shredded cheese
- pico de gallo, esquites, roasted salsa verde, or restaurant style salsa esquites, roasted salsa verde, or restaurant style salsa
- pickled red onion, diced tomatoes, pickled or fresh jalapeno slices, sour cream
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them out to an even thickness.
- Place in a mixing bowl and drizzle with oil and sprinkle on the taco seasoning. Use your hands to coat the chicken in the taco seasoning.
- Arrange the chicken in an even layer in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees internally.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze lime juice over the chicken, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. We cut the chicken into strips one direction, turn the cutting board, and then cut in the opposite direction. Taste the chicken and sprinkle with a bit of salt, if needed.
- While the chicken is cooking, drain and rinse the pinto beans.
- Place a small pot on the stove over medium heat and add the beans. Stir in the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cook beans, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls and top with the chicken, beans, avocado, queso or cheese, choice of salsa, and whatever other toppings you like.
- Serve hot.
Notes
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